Joint Efforts to Clean Up an Illegal Dump

Both public and private partners have been working together this week to help clean up an illegal dump in Ohio. It’s been estimated that 14,000 tons will be removed from the former construction site that has been covered with waste that stretches 20 feet high and covers about an acre of land.

Mar 15, 2013

The removal of 14,000 tons of mostly construction and demolition debris (C&DD) began this week, courtesy of a public-private partnership involving Central Ohio Contractors, Inc. (COC). Multiple state and local agencies agreed to donate various amounts of money and services and minimize disposal fees to help reduce the estimated cost of the entire cleanup. Some of the donations included a grant from Ohio EPA for Franklin County Public Health to manage the cleanup; $40,000 from SWACO; $20,000 from FCPH; and $7,500 from Franklin Township.

“This cleanup will abate a nuisance and a threat to public health and the environment. Public health risks at sites like these include rodents, disease-carrying mosquitoes, fire hazards, potential water contamination and neighborhood blight,” said Franklin County Health Commissioner Susan Tilgner.

COC has agreed to a fixed price for the removal, transport, and disposal of the waste, which is estimated at 700 truckloads. Another estimated 1,400 tons of solid waste, which includes mattresses and household trash, will be taken to SWACO’s Franklin County Sanitary Landfill.